Mess-Free Painting

Hi there! Today I wanted to share a fun activity that's quick, easy, cheap and provides days of intermittent entertainment. It's mess-free finger painting! All you need is a gallon size ziplock bag, finger paint, and packing tape. Lay the bag flat and open it up. Squirt a generous amount of paint in each of the two bottom corners. If you want this project to also teach kids about mixing colors use two  primary colors so they can make a fun new color together. Carefully press all the air out of the bag working from the bottom and spreading the paint as you go. Once the whole bag is covered with a thin layer of paint all the air should also be pressed out. Make sure there's no air bubbles. Seal the bag and tape over one whole side with packing tape.

You can then tape the edges of the bag down to a table or to a glass window. I like using a window because then light shines through to make it easier to see drawings and designs.

If you make sure to push out all the air from the bag, then the paint stays kind of vacuum sealed in there and doesn't ever really sink to the bottom. The packing tape keeps kids from snagging the bag or puncturing it, making this activity last for days or weeks rather than hours.  : )

The paint bags are great for drawing, or practicing writing letters or spelling words. I love this activity because although I also let my kids make a mess with real finger paint, it is sort of a bummer to throw out so much paint 10 minutes later. Not to mention it takes longer to clean them up than they spend painting.

These bags are fun to play with lots of times. Even better, if you want, when they are done using it on the window, open up the bag and squeeze out the paint and let the kids paint with it on paper. Now that's getting your money's worth! Happy painting/drawing/writing!